[mmmmm235i]

Feel free to burn me if you do, because I'm sure its in that book that comes with the car, but there is an air compressor in the trunk. I'm sure this is only in those cars equipped with the michelin PSS non-runflats, but I was wondering why it seemed like BMW completely ignored the problem no spare tire and no runflats can create. This is nice for those emergency situations just to get to a shop.

Your welcome if you didn't know and please just move on if you did.

[nachob]

LOL
they will burn us together....My 1M had one of those and I my gutt hurt reading the stupid instructions..... Insert goop into compressor, connect to tire. Inflate tire with goop....immediately drive no more than 20 miles an hour for 15 minutes or something like that..then guess what....IT Doesn't work!

I'm sure there is someone here that will say...oh it works great, but I personally have never seen a unicorn or Chupacabra and I have never seen anyone successfully get to a shop with the goop. No spare is another BMW epic fail in my humble opinion. They claim to be so advanced but I just saw an Audi wagon that had a space saver spare that was only about 1 inch of sidewall. Then I looked at it looks like an accordion type sidewall that you inflate to full size.....so who is really thinking ahead?

If you are one of the lucky ones that has successfully used the goop to get to a shop......PM me and maybe I can have you buy me some lottery tickets!

: )

[one1er]

That goop or whatever it's called, only works for small punctures, other than that it's pretty much useless!
Bmw doesn't carry a spare for 2 main reasons. Weight saving and weight distribution. As you know, the battery is under the boot/trunk floor for better weight distribution, and that alone kills the possibility to carry a spare!
Is it convenient not having a spare!? No, of course not, but that inconvenient applies only to 0 or 1 or 2% of your ownership period...how often do you get a flat?! And the weight saving and distribution applies to 100 or 99 or 98% of your entire ownership!

[espo]

But the compressor is useful when your friend (who has runflats) has a nail in his tire with a slow leak and he didn't notice it before taking a 200 mile roadtrip. Tire was kind of low (like 20psi)... Got him back home.

As for the goop.. never tried it.

[Sportstick]

I will never use the goop...how would you ever get the tire to balance again after a simple nail repair with an inherently uneven spray of goop going inside? I have the non-RFT Michelin PSS in the Track Package and sacrificed the weight savings, as one never knows when that 1% time is going to occur. Minispare from bimmerzone.com. Ask for Vincent.

[horsepower_and_hounds]

I put non runflats on my 128 and bought a compressor and plug kit. Now that i have the 235 and it has its own flat kit already there I just moved my shit to its trunk for extra security

[webdither]

I hit a pot hole on day one after doing the performance center and blew the tire. Tried the fix it kit but like everyone else said it only really works on small punctures and not a blown tire. However, the BMW roadside assistance is very good and you'll be back on the road after a minor inconvenience.

I am considering adding roadside to my insurance policy though so I can get it towed to a tire shop instead of a BMW dealer. Tire was about $80 more at the dealer than discount tire.

[3.0L]

I've had two flat tires during my 50 years of driving; one on my first car back in the mid-60's and the other on our tent-trailer about 20 years ago.

I refuse to worry about the no-spare-goopy-pump thing in my 2-series.

[ska///235i]

A spare in the back actually makes a 50/50 weight distrib...main reason is the cost saving, bmw can save a guessimate of $300mil per year

[tccox]

My guess would be weight savings to meet mandated mpg requirements. The additional cost of run flats vs non run flats would more than offset cost savings from deleting a mini spare

[nachob]

Originally Posted by ska///235i

A spare in the back actually makes a 50/50 weight distrib...main reason is the cost saving, bmw can save a guessimate of $300mil per year

Like everything in life there are tradeoffs. If you get a flat on an LA Freeway where many times there is no shoulder, run flats can help there. Getting a flat on the autobahn...could be scary with the speeds going on.. Getting a flat anywhere in the USA where people don't give a damn about driving, text, cell phone, left lane hogging, watching dvds while driving, it's scary. Policemen are killed or injured all the time by idiots not paying attention. Fire trucks block accidents scenes because there is always one guy who thinks his text message is more important than your family's life so I get the runflat thing for certain cars. The problem for me is that many companies give you a spare tire well in the trunk so that if you live or drive cross country, you can safely carry a spare. That would cost BMW very little just to give you a well and give you the option to buy a spare.

Weight savings are nice but I have seen many aluminum mini spares that work just fine and I don't buy the weight savings when they are cramming the cars with copper wiring for infotainment, folding, mirrors, power seats, power bolsters, panoramic sunroofs and all sorts of stuff regardless. I would much prefer a spare to all that. The roads here is san diego are full of potholes especially after rain and I have bent rims, bulged tires and picked up every nail and screw ever made.

Many people live in areas where you can damage a rim or are far away from a tire shop and it would be a great option for them. I remember Car and Driver's first drive of the 335i was marred when they hit curb in Austria or Tyrolia and there was no spare, no tire shops with runflats and finally BMW helicoptered a spare to them! I doubt we would get that service.

Just a simple wheel well is all I ask for and maybe a checkbox where I would happily pay for a spare and mini jack.

[mmmmm235i]

I agree that BMW should have offerred something a little better considering almost all of their cars are equipped with run-flats. It just seems like they never thought about it and I cant believe they still sell a tire insurance when you won't be able to drive it into the dealership.

[Lucky13]

The last thing I would ever do or want to do is change a flat on the side of the road. In the last 20 years I've had 3 flats and 2 of them were waking up finding a nail in a tire and the tire went flat in the garage. I'd call roadside assistance even if I had a spare tire. It's too easy to get hit by someone driving by or being in an area that you don't want to be outside of the car, snow, rain, dark outside or many other reasons not to want to die changing a tire.

[horsepower_and_hounds]

Originally Posted by mmmmm235i

I agree that BMW should have offerred something a little better considering almost all of their cars are equipped with run-flats. It just seems like they never thought about it and I cant believe they still sell a tire insurance when you won't be able to drive it into the dealership.

I am not so sure about that....seems the industry is going that way. My wife's last two vehicles did not have spares but a can of ins-ta-flat and a compressor. And they were not BMW's

[mmmmm235i]

Originally Posted by ehagerty

I am not so sure about that....seems the industry is going that way. My wife's last two vehicles did not have spares but a can of ins-ta-flat and a compressor. And they were not BMW's

and the cars were not equipped with runflats? If so, that is disapointing, there is nothing more frustrating then being stuck on the side of the road even if its only once a year.

[horsepower_and_hounds]

Originally Posted by mmmmm235i

and the cars were not equipped with runflats? If so, that is disapointing, there is nothing more frustrating then being stuck on the side of the road even if its only once a year.

Nope not run flats.....

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

I will never use the goop...how would you ever get the tire to balance again after a simple nail repair with an inherently uneven spray of goop going inside? I have the non-RFT Michelin PSS in the Track Package and sacrificed the weight savings, as one never knows when that 1% time is going to occur. Minispare from bimmerzone.com. Ask for Vincent.

Most goop is water soluble these days. You just wash it out. I have a car with non-RFTs and a goop compressor already - FIAT 500 Abarth. Doesn't bother me a bit, I have not had to change a tire on the road in almost 25 years. If the worst happens, that is why I pay AAA every year.

[NY10]

I have run flats on my 228i. Not exactly sure about a spare or not. I have hit some major pot holes in my time but I have been very lucky. I guess time will tell. I am going to cross my fingers and hope my run flats are able to get me to where I need to be to safely replace the tire.

[mmmmm235i]

Originally Posted by NY10

I have run flats on my 228i. Not exactly sure about a spare or not. I have hit some major pot holes in my time but I have been very lucky. I guess time will tell. I am going to cross my fingers and hope my run flats are able to get me to where I need to be to safely replace the tire.

You will be fine w/ the runflats, I've driven on those when they were in pretty bad shape even if its just straight to the dealer. You have nothing to worry about it will never be too bad you can't get to a tri-state dealer or shop.

[akuan99]

I carry jack kit, plug kit and the included mobility kit on my 228i.
I will remove tire and use plug kit to repair it.

[NY10]

Originally Posted by mmmmm235i

You will be fine w/ the runflats, I've driven on those when they were in pretty bad shape even if its just straight to the dealer. You have nothing to worry about it will never be too bad you can't get to a tri-state dealer or shop.

That's what my dealer told me so I went with them. NY has some pretty bad roads but I just plan on being extra careful and if worse happens I'm not crazy far from my dealer and I have AAA to tow if need be

[ska///235i]

Doesnt the included roadside asst tow for free???